U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and David Perdue, R-Ga., today blasted the Obama administration’s latest announced policy that has the potential to raise the cost of living for hardworking taxpayers through the Environmental Protection Agency’s newest requirement that existing power plants reduce their emissions by 32 percent by the year 2030.
 
“The Obama administration continues to pursue policies that will raise the cost of living for hardworking taxpayers, this new rule being the latest example in a long-term trend,” said Senator Isakson. “Coal provides more than two-thirds of Georgia’s electricity and supports 8,800 jobs in our state. I will fight this energy tax that will destroy jobs and harm our economy. If the president truly wants to help our economy, he should approve the KeystoneXL pipeline, which would create thousands of jobs and help secure our nation’s energy future.”
 
“President Obama’s constant barrage of overreaching regulatory mandates are crippling our economy’s ability to fully recover and stifling our global competitiveness,” said Senator Perdue. “The damaging effects of this hostile executive action will drive up energy prices for Georgia families and businesses, while the ripple effect throughout our economy will increase costs of basic necessities for those already struggling to make ends meet.  This administration’s short-sighted policies continue to hurt the very people they claim to help, which is why I will fight them with every tool at my disposal.”
 
The administration’s “Clean Power Plan” released today requires an even greater reduction in emissions than the rule that was originally proposed in June 2014, and demands that states submit a plan to implement the rules by 2016. The new regulations are expected to impact hundreds of fossil-fuel plants, including 600 coal-powered plants.
 
Senators Isakson and Perdue are original co-sponsors of S.1324, the Affordable Reliable Electricity Now Act of 2015, which would delay the rule until legal proceedings from twelve states have concluded, as well as give states the ability to opt out of the rule. Additionally, S.1324 would prevent the EPA from withholding federal highway funds if a state doesn’t submit a plan.
 
Isakson and Perdue also sent letters to President Obama and EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy during the proposal phase in opposition to the administration’s proposed Clean Power Plan and calling for the rule’s withdrawal.

The Georgia Chamber responds to President Obama and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) recently released Clean Power Plan.

The Clean Power Plan is far-reaching and seeks to permanently change the structure of the nation’s energy generation and distribution sectors. It will also permanently change the consumption habits of the nation’s energy consumers. With this Plan, EPA has embarked on a massive regulatory takeover and overreach into areas that are outside the scope of the Clean Air Act and clearly usurp the role of Congress and the states. “The Chamber will continue to work with our congressional delegation, Georgia’s Environmental Protection Division and our small business and industry partners to ensure that if this plan is implemented it is done so with minimum long-term damage to the state’s economy,” said Georgia Chamber President and CEO Chris Clark.

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With a national price tag of $8.4 billion per year, even EPA estimates that the price tag for this rule will be in the billions of dollars per year. Experts note this Plan will place upward pressure on the monthly energy bills of all Georgians. In addition, energy cost increases will flow through the community in the form of higher prices for goods and services. Energy is a vital input into Georgia’s economy, any additional costs will reduce profitability and competiveness, in both domestic and export markets.

The devil will be immersed in the details of this Plan. Even though the goal for Georgia has been reduced in the final regulation, it will still be a challenge to reach the state’s 2030 emissions reduction goal. If it survives inevitable legal challenges, the Plan will irreversibly change Georgia’s energy sector and provide greater power to Washington-based bureaucrats.

For Georgia, improvements to the draft Clean Power Plan are primarily due to the revised treatment of new, under-construction nuclear. Full credit toward compliance will now be given to the multi-billion dollar expansion of Plant Vogtle. Initially, EPA treated the zero emissions from under-construction nuclear reactors 3 & 4 as if the units were already in service and were included into Georgia’s proposed state target, making it more stringent than otherwise similarly situated states. This erroneous position has been reversed. The Chamber, along with the state’s utilities, Office of the Attorney General, the Public Service Commission, and the Georgia Environmental Protection Division have worked diligently over the past year to make that position known to the EPA, and to seek this important change.

Exactly how EPA’s plan will be implemented will be outlined in a soon-to-be-prepared state plan. Thankfully, implementation of the Plan has been delayed by two years, as has the timeframe for the final development of the state’s plan.

The scope of the state’s plan will also determine the final cost to Georgia. The Chamber will continue to be actively engaged in this process to ensure that all flaws in this EPA Plan are identified and minimized and costs are contained as much as possible.